Monthly Archives: June 2012

The Senate adjourned Friday with the confirmation of Kristine Svinicki and Allison Macfarlane to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Macfarlane succeeds outgoing NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko as head of the agency. Both are Democrats. The confirmation of Svinicki, a Republican, to…

The enormous benefits of safe, responsible, tightly-regulated American natural gas development cannot be denied. This fact is proof positive. Indeed, several columns this week further underscore how “Shale extraction represents one of the most important developments for the economy in…

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) used a House hearing on climate change Friday to serve up a reminder of Mitt Romney’s past support for cap-and-trade, a policy that the GOP White House hopeful and most other Republicans now repudiate.Markey, a liberal…

Congress on Friday approved legislation that will extend federal highway programs through 2014, a low interest rate on student loans for one year, and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for five years.Leaders in the House and Senate negotiated the…

The Obama administration’s expected approval of Royal Dutch Shell’s plan to drill in Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast this summer is a political plus for President Obama, according to Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), an advocate of the project.“I think what…

A former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official who resigned earlier this year for comparing his work to crucifixion has found new employment with a leading green group.The Sierra Club on Friday announced that Al Armendariz would be joining the group’s…

The Senate adjourned Friday with the confirmation of Kristine Svinicki and Allison M. Macfarlane to the National Regulatory Committee. Macfarlane succeeds Greg Jaczko as head of the agency. Both are Democrats. Svinicki’s confirmation ends a bitter partisan feud over bringing…

The Associated Press explains U.S. and European sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports.AP also reports that Venezuela’s state-owned oil company will join efforts to look for oil in deep waters off Cuba’s coast.From its piece:State-run Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA,…

Could the Supreme Court’s landmark healthcare ruling undercut the legal basis for environmental regulations?Probably not, but it could influence policymaking nonetheless, and the question will likely be litigated, writes David Driesen, a Syracuse University law professor affiliated with the liberal…

On Tap Friday: A House Energy and Commerce Committee panel will hear from Gina McCarthy, the Environmental Protection Agency’s top air pollution regulator, about the agency’s greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations.The Friday hearing arrives three days after a federal appeals court…